Transcriptional regulators of dendrite development

描述（由申请人提供）：由于枝晶发育尚未得到广泛研究，有关枝晶发育的一些基本问题仍需回答。下面描述的研究将集中在以下两个问题：（1）是什么因素控制了特定类别树突的独特形态？(2)不同的因素或信号转导途径调节树突发育的不同方面？由于转录因子可能是树突发育的多个方面的调节因子，并且果蝇PNS是树突发育遗传分析的有吸引力的模型系统，因此我将使用果蝇作为模型系统来研究树突发育的转录调节。重要的是，果蝇PNS是由多个类别的神经元具有不同的特征树突分支模式，所以这些研究应该有助于识别的因素，指定树突发育的细胞类型特异性的方式。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Because dendrite development has not yet been extensively studied, a number of fundamental questions about dendrite development still need to be answered. The studies described below will focus on the following two questions: (1) What factors control the distinct morphology of a given class of dendrites? (2) Do distinct factors or signal transduction pathways regulate different aspects of dendrite development? Since transcription factors are likely regulators of multiple aspects of dendrite development and the Drosophila PNS is an attractive model system for genetic analysis of dendrite development I will study transcriptional regulation of dendrite development using Drosophila as a model system. Importantly, the Drosophila PNS is composed of multiple classes of neurons with distinct characteristic dendritic branching patterns so these studies should facilitate identification of factors which specify dendrite development in a cell type-specific fashion.